Wiring in electric cooker, screws not holding the wires

[notalectrician]

I am (trying!) to wire in my new, shiny and about to be flung out of the window electric cooker, its a Logik LFTC60W12.

I have looked at other posts to find out how to do it but am stumped by this problem.

I've put the wires into the slots and tightened the screws. The screws will not tighten enough to hold the wire, they are left loose enough to fall out. The earth wire is fine, the live and neutral are the ones not holding.

Can someone advise me what I am doing wrong please.

I have no camera but there is an identical picture of the fittings on it on another post if that is ok to use/link to if one is needed.

Yours, Very Hungry

 

[jj4091]

Which type of terminations does it have, the type that screw down onto the core or the type that pull the core to the front of the terminal to clamp it? Can't find the other post you refer to.

 

[JohnD]

what size cable is it?

is it an electric cooker?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I have no camera but there is an identical picture of the fittings on it on another post if that is ok to use/link to if one is needed.
(

Yes, Link please!

 

[notalectrician]

This is it: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=243003

I'm using the cable from my old electric cooker, I'm presuming this is ok to do?

 

[sparkybird]

Possibly you have wrecked the thread on the screws/terminals? are the screws going in exactly at 90 degrees? Do they 'stop' turning. If not then it's a possible...

 

[notalectrician]

Hi, yes they tighten up and stop turning.

 

[Chri5]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you are placing the wiring wrong, I thought that the terminal type was a screw in toa body that drops and rises a compression plate.

So loosen the screw anti cw, place the wire in the gap and when you tighten cw, the wire is clamped. If you are trying to place the wire under the screw I won't work.

 

[notalectrician]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you are placing the wiring wrong, I thought that the terminal type was a screw in toa body that drops and rises a compression plate.

So loosen the screw anti cw, place the wire in the gap and when you tighten cw, the wire is clamped. If you are trying to place the wire under the screw I won't work.

I've put the wire in as you would on a plug pin, undone the screw to open up a hole and put it in there, then tightened to clamp it (or not) so the bottom of the screw touches the wire but its got a piece of plastic between it to clamp it down.

The screws don't come out from the terminal for it to be possible to put the wire directly underneath them so I am pretty sure I have them in the right place.

The wire itself I have recycled from my old cooker, on that cooker they were coiled around the screws so I have cut it back to leave straight wire again, is that right or did I need to do something to the ends (it feels like another half turn or two of the screw would be enough to hold it).

Really appreciating your time people, thankyou.

 

[JohnD]

I'm anxious to know the size of the cable and the wattage of the appliance. It might or might not have been correct for the old one. It does rather sound like a bit of flex.

The cooker is this http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/logik-lftc60w12-electric-cooker-white-12309601-pdt.html

and I will guess that the cooker circuit has a 32A MCB or a 30A fuse. Is that right?

 

[bernardgreen]

the screw touches the wire but its got a piece of plastic between it to clamp it down.

If you mean there is plastic between screw and wire then you have got it very wrong. Plastic is an insulator. If it is a wire under screw connection then the metal screw MUST be in direct contact with the wire or there can be a clean metal washer between screw and wire.

 

[JohnW2]

I've put the wire in as you would on a plug pin, undone the screw to open up a hole and put it in there, then tightened to clamp it (or not) so the bottom of the screw touches the wire but its got a piece of plastic between it to clamp it down.

As others have said, there are different types of terminal, and not all of them work by the screw 'screwing down onto the wire' as it would in a plug.

What you need to do is to look carefully to see what happens when (with no wire inserted) you 'tighten' the screw. Does tightening the screw (turning it clockwise) result in a small piece of metal being drawn up towards the head of the screw? If so, as Chris said, you should be inserting the wire 'above' that piece of metal (closer to the screw head than the metal) - so that when you tighten the screw, it clamps the wire above that piece of metal (between that piece of metal and the body of the terminal).

Kind Regards, John

 

[notalectrician]

Wayhey the job is done!

You were right, I was putting the wire behind the metal plate instead of in front of it.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[JohnW2]

Wayhey the job is done! You were right, I was putting the wire behind the metal plate instead of in front of it. Thank you all for your help.

It's nice to know that I got something right for once - glad it helped!

Kind Regards, John